Is it an Owl I can hear?

[Huntsman]

We live opposite some woodland, its a few acres of mixed oak, holly, sycamore, on the waters edge.

In the evenings I can hear what I think might be an owl, you could certainly call a hoot hoot. Rather a haunting sort of sound.

Is ths likely? Is it the right time of year? I noticed it in the spring last year and the last few weeks I have been hearing him a lot in the evenings.

I've been out looking but I cant see him or her?

[Jasandjules]

Owls around here call all the time. So it could easily be.

[central]

Tawny Owls are very vocal a this time of year.

[Animal]

Lots of owls near me. Occasionally I hoot at them and get a reply. Either that or I'm communicating with my neighbour.

[Jasandjules]

Animal said:

Lots of owls near me. Occasionally I hoot at them and get a reply. Either that or I'm communicating with my neighbour.

Yep, I do that as well, quite often get other owls getting involved as well, I do wonder if I'm starting a row between them....

[GWC]

There was a great story in my local paper years ago about two blokes who had each heard an owl nearby and had hooted back, each night they would go out and hoot to the 'owl' until one day they got talking to each other and worked out they'd been hooting to each other for a few weeks

[Hugo a Gogo]

wood pigeon?

[sleep envy]

it's a honey badger trying to catch owls

[Huntsman]

Hugo a Gogo said:

wood pigeon?

Nah, we've got endless pigeons, I know the noise they make very well.

We get a woodpecker in the psring too.

Based on the comments above I guess it is an owl, I've been out there looking for him but I'm buggered if I can see him.

[Catz]

An owl hoot is pretty distinctive tbh.
We have loads near me, love them!

[goldblum]

Best time to spot them is dusk,with just a little light left.Use binos and stand still,you'll see movement usually quite high in the trees.

They move round a fair bit.

If you're an early riser and you're near fields they're quite easy to spot hunting.

[Mobile Chicane]

Loads of tawny owls around here. They're damn noisy when they get onto the roof.

Incidentally, the "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" hoot is the male. The female call sounds more like "Kee-wick!"

(The 'twit', to the 'twoo', I suppose.)